No. 1 'Despicable Me 2' rules box office as 'Lone Ranger' flops

The minions of "Despicable Me 2" have much to celebrate after a stellar Fourth of July weekend at the box office.

The minions of "Despicable Me 2" have much to celebrate after a stellar Fourth of July weekend at the box office. (Universal Pictures)

By Amy Kaufman

With "Despicable Me 2" dominating the Fourth of July box office, it was no holiday for "The Lone Ranger."

The animated 3-D film had a lot to celebrate over the long Independence Day weekend as it took in an explosive $142.1 million between its debut on 7 p.m. Tuesday and Sunday evening, according to an estimate from distributor Universal Pictures. During that same period, the western starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer mustered up an embarrassing $48.9 million.

Such a weak opening puts "The Lone Ranger" on a pace to become one of the biggest big-budget bombs at the summer box office. Though the season's "White House Down" and "After Earth" have also proven to be disappointments, each film cost around $100 million less to produce than this weekend's flop. Walt Disney Studios had to halt production on "The Lone Ranger" in 2011 when the movie's budget soared to $250 million; the studio says it eventually reduced the cost to $225 million.

"Despicable Me 2," meanwhile, was made on the cheaper side for an animated family film. While most films in the genre have budgets of at least $100 million, Universal and its Illumination Entertainment produced the "Despicable" sequel for $76 million. While the second film received slightly less positive reviews than the 2010 original, audiences gave both films the same average grade -- an A, according to market research firm CinemaScore.

Three years ago, "Despicable Me" launched with a surprisingly strong $56.4 million and went on to collect $251.5 million in the U.S. and Canada -- about 46% of its eventual $543-million global tally. There's little doubt that the sequel will exceed those numbers after doubling the original's domestic opening weekend take.

The movie follows newly reformed super-villain Gru (Steve Carell) as he is recruited by an Anti-Villain League to help catch an evil new foe. The movie also includes the voices of Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig and Miranda Cosgrove.

The picture launched in a few foreign markets last weekend and is now playing in 45 countries and has grossed a total of $151.1 million. Of the 38 markets where the film debuted abroad this weekend, it was No. 1 in 36 of them. In Mexico, Indonesia, South Africa, Trinidad and Vietnam, "Despicable Me 2" had the strongest opening ever for an animated title.

Its unlikely that "The Lone Ranger" will be able to make up ground internationally. Even though Depp has long been a draw for foreign moviegoers, westerns traditionally do not attract big audiences abroad. This weekend, the film opened in 24 foreign markets, including Russia and Australia, and grossed $24.3 million.

After earning dismal reviews, "The Lone Ranger" -- produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by longtime Depp collaborator Gore Verbinski -- received a kinder reception from filmgoers. The limited audience that saw the movie this weekend gave it an average grade of B+. The film appealed to an older audience, as about 68% of the crowd was over the age of 25, indicating that those who saw the movie were likely familiar with the 1950s "Lone Ranger" television series.

“The heritage and the legacy of the characters, while super-familiar to people of a certain age, was not as familiar to a young audience,” said Dave Hollis, Disney’s executive vice president of distribution.

Admitting the studio was “disappointed” with the film’s lackluster performance, Hollis cited a number of factors that may have contributed to the movie’s demise. The fact that the picture is a western -- often a tough sell with modern moviegoers -- was “always going to be a bit of an overcome,” he said. The bad buzz generated from the film’s production troubles didn’t help, either, he admitted.

“It feels like there’s been some circling sharks in the water around productions that haven’t been perfect,” he said.

So where shouldn’t the blame fall? On Depp, who plays the Native American Tonto, partner-in-crime to Armie Hammer’s “Lone Ranger," said Hollis.

“The audience reaction to Johnny’s performance was extraordinarily positive,” the Disney executive said. “It’s tough when you have the biggest movie star in the world, a beloved property, one of the most successful producers in the world and a well-known director. That seems like a recipe for having something connect. But it just didn’t with a broader audience.”

And just like that, there’s only one day left of Lolla. Here’s what stood out to us from day 2. Best: The Tallest Man on Earth: Maybe it was just a right-mood, right-set situation, but boy this was the perfect mid-day act to take a breather, sit in the sun, and just chill and listen to and enjoy....